


Regulus Orange Is The New Black Cat

by LimeOfMagicLimo



Series: Regulus Black Is Crookshanks AU [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Animagus Regulus Black, F/M, Fanart, POV Regulus Black, Regulus Black Lives, Regulus Black-centric, Regulus is James and Lily's cat who is Crookshanks, Temporary Character Death, house elf appreciation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-13
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:28:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26994454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LimeOfMagicLimo/pseuds/LimeOfMagicLimo
Summary: In his fourth year at Hogwarts, Regulus Black attempted to become an animagus. It didn’t work. Until it did.Or, a "Regulus Black is Crookshanks" AU nobody asked for, inspired by this tweethpdiscourse
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter
Series: Regulus Black Is Crookshanks AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1977994
Comments: 15
Kudos: 154





	1. R.A.B.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The life with the Potter family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I adore Discwords' Death, leave me alone.

“Meow?”

THIS IS SURPRISING TO ME TOO. Death picked up the large orange cat and cradled it in his arms, not minding it was dripping wet. Together they looked over the lake Regulus crawled out of. The water was now peaceful once again, like there weren’t horrors hiding underneath its surface. LOOKS LIKE YOU HAVE EIGHT MORE LIVES TO GO, Death said. He took a step, and they were on the shore of the lake, the sky dark and heavy with clouds.

There was a horse waiting for Death, a beautiful milk-white stallion. Death hiked up into the saddle and gently set Regulus down on the horseback between his boney thighs. One skeleton hand combed the wizard’s fur before taking the reins.

_What now?_

I WILL GIVE YOU A RIDE TO LONDON. Regulus flinched when the horse underneath him moved. It wasn’t until a moment later he realised he had dug his claws into the white fur under his paws. With a quiet apology he retracted his claws but stayed pressed flat against the horseback. THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES LOOKING TO ADOPT. YOU COULD BE COMFORTABLE WHILE YOU FIGURE THINGS OUT. Death looked down at Regulus; the little blue lights in his otherwise empty eye sockets felt warm and Regulus thought Death must have a soft spot for cats. 

* * *

“Hello there,” the redhead cooed, crouching down to peer at the large ginger cat who was curled up in the back of its cage. The mass of tangled fur unfolded, revealing a grumpy, somewhat squished face.

“Merlin, Lily, that’s about the ugliest tiger I’ve seen in my life,” James Potter breathed out as the tomcat resettled; this time closer to the bars of its cage. Its thick fur was tangled and dirty and in several places, cut short. It was indeed quite ugly, but Lily was already charmed by its silvery eyes.

“Don’t be mean, Jim,” his fiancee scolded him distractedly, sticking her fingers through the bars to scrub behind the ginger’s ear despite the caretakers’ warning noises. “He’s a sweetheart, aren’t you…” she glanced at the name tag taped to the cage, “Fozzie?”

Regulus leaned in her hand and started purring softly. When he got caught by pest control and locked in this horrendous muggle animal shelter he never hoped to be adopted by a wizard. He had lived the last three months in fear of being put down or neutered, and if sucking up to a mudblood was the way out, he was going to grab it with both paws. Evans was quite alright actually. She had been one of the few who saw the Marauders as the glorified bullies they were…

But, even if Potter was a (brother-stealing) pratt, he and his friends became animagi successfully. If Regulus had a chance to find out more about his current condition, it was by being around Potter.

Regulus purred a little louder.

* * *

The life at the Potter manor was good. They all quickly accepted “quirks” their trial-baby had and accommodated Regulus’ fear of baths, dark spaces and sudden unexpected touches. James let him sleep on his chest where Regulus could feel his warmth and hear his heartbeat. Lily bought a cat food puzzle because he couldn’t stop wolfing down his kibble and getting violently ill. Thanks to their tender care he gained weight he didn’t even know he had lost, his coat was thick and lush from frequent sponge-baths and grooming.

Despite having a place of his own, Sirius was over for dinner more often than not, and after a few weeks of avoidance, Reg started to enjoy having his brother’s attention. Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew would visit every full moon like a clock-work, and that was how Regulus found out about the furry little problem and Marauders’ animagus forms.

But not all was well. The war was picking up pace, more missing and dead almost every day. Charlus Potter let him lounge on the arm of his chair when he was reading Daily Prophet, and Regulus couldn’t help but rumble in mourning whenever he saw a familiar name among the victims of his former Lord. 

Sometimes when Lily came home from her apprenticeship at St. Mungo’s, she’d curl up with Regulus and a blanket and breathe into his fur. Regulus was glad for her company. He worried too. Being aurors in training, James and Sirius were in the first line of fire both at work and at the Order.

The former Death Eater wished that the Order took a more offensive tactic, but Dumbledore seemed to be set on staying defensive and only reacted after Voldemort made his move.

In October, James and Lily held their wedding in the manor’s gardens. Most guests in attendance were members of the Order and its supporters, counting over 30 people. And while his mother’s voice was ringing in his ears, seething at the filth, it wasn’t why Regulus was most anxious. 

Social gatherings meant stiff robes and pleasant smiles that could turn poisonous any time and backhanded compliments. It was watching his every word (when didn’t he?) and every move. Sirius used to make these bearable by sharing the suffering. Then he started _acting up_ and _refused to listen_ and Regulus was no longer safe from mother’s wrath by his side. Cousin Cissy was way less likely to start drama, and even Lucius’ high and mighty attitude was tolerable for an afternoon.

After the months spent in the quiet manor, the amount of people was overwhelming. Even in his cat form which ought to be free of society’s demands, Regulus felt the pressure of expectations on his shoulders.

He hid in the kitchen for as long as he could, before Sirius dragged him out him to show him off to the Weasley kids. Regulus ended up swarmed by 5 redheads, the twin toddlers pulling at his ears while Charlie was trying to feed him every single type of meat and cheese there was.

It was stressful, but in an entirely different way than pureblood parties. At the end of the day he might even say he… liked it. 

And on the New Year’s Eve party, Lily announced she was pregnant.

* * *

After two months of house-hunting, the couple settled on a quaint cottage in Godric’s Hollow. The house was tiny compared to the manor, but Lily loved how homey its size made it. And how easy to clean it was. Regulus thought that cleaning wouldn’t be a problem if they got a house elf. He missed Kreacher dearly. He missed his family. He missed the rare days when mother was in a good mood and he missed father teaching him the privileges and responsibilities of a Lord Black. 

He heard through the grapevine cousin Narcissa was pregnant too. The news, while happy, filled him with bitter jealousy. It has been a promise between the two that Regulus would be her firstborn’s Godfather. But now he was dead to the world, stuck as a cat. He might never see his cousin or her baby. All while Sirius was preening at being the baby Potter’s Dogfather, which was a terrible pun and James should stop encouraging it.

Just as Lily got possessed by nesting instincts and was driving the entire household crazy by constantly rearranging the furniture, Dumbledore arrived with news of a prophecy. 

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies. And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not, and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."_

The Longbottoms, who too were due to delivery by the end of July, fortified themselves at the Longbottoms’ ancestral home, and the Potters did the same in their little cottage.

* * *

The war turned brutal, and Death collected soul after soul. McKinnons, the entire family wiped out overnight. Fabian and Gideon Prewetts, Molly Weasley’s brothers, gone, taking three Death Eaters with them.

In their little bubble of questionable safety, James was ripping out his hair. The urge to go out and protect his friends was battling with his need to keep his son safe. Lily was taking the inaction better; brewing potions for the Order gave her some sense of accomplishment, while James had to make do with house chores. They both spent most of their time doting on Harry, who was about the happiest toddler Regulus ever seen. 

The boy was an absolute terror on the kid-sized broomstick Sirius had gotten him for his first birthday. Everything breakable had to be taken down or it would meet the fate of the vase Lily’s muggle sister Petunia gifted them the previous Christmas. Regulus hated the ugly thing, and Lily didn’t seem too heartbroken about it either. 

* * *

The Death Eaters attacked the Longbottom manor. Augusta Longbottom escaped with little Neville by the skin of her teeth. Alice and Frank found fate worse than death by the hands of Bellatrix and Rudolphos Lestrange.

The news shook the Potters to the core. Dumbledore suggested an additional layer of protection - the Fidelius Charm. Only a Secret-Keeper would be able to find their little cottage. To James, the choice was clear.

Sirius argued he was too obvious a choice, and would be better suited to act as a distraction from the real Keeper. With Remus spending months at a time among wild werewolves and the rumors of a traitor in the Order, Peter Pettigrew was the only choice. They didn’t tell anyone.

* * *

They weren’t ready.

They weren’t ready for the Dark Lord to come knocking on their door. James rushed out to face him in nothing but his pyjamas pants, as heroic and as foolish as only a true Gryffindor could be. Regulus, frozen in fear, heard the thump of his body down in the hall. Lily locked the door and pushed the chest of drawers in front of it. The shabby barricade did not stand a chance against the dark wizard. 

“Move,” he said, and the sound of his voice, even less human than when Regulus last heard it, was like ice climbing Regulus’ back.

“No,” Lily said, voice trembling but standing firm. “Not Harry. Not my son.”

“Move, you foolish girl, and you shall live,” Voldemort said graciously, like he was doing her a magnificent favour.

“No,” the redhead shook her head. “Kill me, spare my son. Please, spare my son --”

James’ soul burst in through the door, yelling and punching at the Dark Lord uselessly. Death appeared in the doorway, five hourglasses floating above his skeleton hand. One was almost full, one was empty, one was running out of sand. The fourth was of an unusual shape, the glass twisted and creating acloves where sand accumulated and flown no more, and the fifth consisted of nine little hourglasses. 

“Move. I will not ask again.”

Death raised his scythe. 

“No.”

Wand raised, scythe fell. 

Lily Potter’s body was thrown back by the force of the Killing Curse, but her soul stood unmoved.

Voldemort walked right through her.

“No! No, no, no! Harry!” Lily’s soul sobbed out, reaching out for her baby. James hugged her, ghostly tears falling down his face.

Regulus didn’t know what possessed him to jump from the bed to the crib. He curled himself around the toddler, trying to cover as much of him as he could. Ears pressed close to his head, hair abristle, he hissed at his former master.

“Fozzie!” Lily gasped, and Voldemort chuckled.

“Foolish creature,” he tittered, and pointed his wand at little Harry’s head. “Avada Kedavra.”

A stream of bright green light shot from the wand, heading for the middle of the little boy’s forehead. A cat paw lashed out, smacking the curse just as it connected with its target.

  


  


* * *

_Meow?_

YES, IT IS VERY STRANGE. Death tapped the tortuous hourglass with his boney finger. There was a new aclove, the sand unmoving no matter how Death tilted the apparatus.

“What does it mean?” asked James, where he was kneeling in the ruins of their house next to Lily, both of them hugging their son. Crying, but alive, with a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt above his right eye. Fozzie’s cat body was lying motionless a few metres away, blasted aside by the force of the curse. It was a miracle Harry was unharmed.

 _They’re Horcruxes_ , Regulus thought, said, he didn’t know how it worked in this in-between state. Voldemort’s soul must have been so frayed, a fragment was ripped loose when the Killing Curse hit. It had to attached itself to Harry, accidentally creating a Horcrux. An _sevenht_ one. Merlin's beard. 

Death tucked the disfigured glass in the folds of his cloak and squatted on his heels next to the cat. LOOKS LIKE IT. YOU SHOULD GO BACK TO YOUR BODY, OR THESE LIVES OF YOURS WILL GO TO WASTE, he shook the set of nine small hourglasses, now two glasses empty, one running and five full. He scratched Regulus behind his ear. I HAVE THE FEELING YOU WOULD PREFER TO STAY FOR A WHILE YET.

Regulus looked at the sad pile of orange fur, covered in dust and debris.

“Look after him, please,” Lily whispered. “If you can, look after our son.”

Regulus ran up to the Potters and cuddled up to their transparent forms aggressively. It was a farewell. Humans and deer only live once.

With a last ghost kiss on Harry’s tear-stained cheeks, Regulus turned to his body. As it and his soul joined together once more, he was eloped in darkness. 

When he came to, Harry Potter was long gone and Sirius Black was laughing madly in the middle of a blasted street.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fozzie the Bear is a character from The Muppet Show. He's orange and debuted in 1976.


	2. Cat, Rat and Dog

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shrieking Shack reuniation.

Regulus leapt and snatched the escaping rat from the ground. The rodent squealed in fear, but the cat held firmly, even as two wands were pointed at him. 

“One - two - THREE!” 

Two blue-white streams erupted form the wands, one narrowly missing Pettigrew and hitting Regulus straight in his chest.

A blinding flash of light -

For the first time in his life, Regulus felt his body transform. He didn’t remember his first shift. But he imagined it had to feel the same; limbs sprouting; bones rearranging; hair crawling back in his skin. Pettigrew was forced out of his mouth, and his growing mass knocked Regulus to the ground. The smell of mould and dust was much weaker even with his face pressed into the wooden planks, but the shouting felt just as loud as before. Slowly, he rolled over to his back, and met his brother’s eyes.

“ _Regulus?!_ ”

Sirius’s face was ashen and his wand raised. Regulus wet his lips, suddenly unsure if he could even speak after all these years. 

“Hello,” he said, and oh look, he could talk. He could even wave, because he had _hands._ With _opposable thumbs_. He wished for opposable thumbs so many times this last decade, and now he had them and he couldn’t help but take delight in his hands. He clenched them in fists, spread his fingers as wide as he could, wriggled his fingers and drummed them on his chest.

Everybody kept staring at him. 

“Bloody hell,” Ron said.

Pettigrew tried to use the distraction to crawl away, but Regulus kicked him in the shoulder where he could reach. Immediately, Lupin’s wandpoint was on the short, scrawny bald man. “Petrificus Totalus!!” Then he took a deep breath. “Regulus. What a - surprise.”

“I can imagine,” Regulus allowed and projecting his movements, he sat up. He run his fingers through his shoulder-length hair, only meeting a few knots and some leaves, and thanked Hermione and the Hogwarts house elves for not letting him become so rundown as Scabbers/Pettigrew. Oh, he had a stubble. He didn’t have facial hair when he died. “I died,” he informed them, because it suddenly felt very important. It was the first time he said it out loud. “Thrice. I'll have to ask McGonagall if that’s a cat animagus thing or an anomaly. Death seemed as surprised as I was when, you know.” He waved his hand vaguely. Merlin, he could gesture! “The first time.” 

“Who _are_ you!” cried Hermione in distress. She was a tough girl, Regulus knew, but the twists and turns of the evening were starting to get to her. Harry just looked baffled, and Weasley seemed ready to up and walk out of this madhouse broken leg or no. 

“Regulus Arcturus Black,” he introduced himself with a slight nod, “a younger brother to Sirius, before he got disowned… and before I pledged loyalty to the Dark Lord.” There, he said it. The biggest mistake of his life. “I have deflected and, well, _survived_ , in a manner of speaking, thanks to cats having nine lives.”

“When did you become an animagus,” Sirius spoke, a mad glint in his eye. He looked unhinged and so much like mother or cousin Bellatrix, it felt like being choked. It was scary how much hold his family had on him after all these years. He was 30! Still, he couldn’t help but avert his gaze from Sirius’ face.

“Around the same time as you. It was a foolish, one-sided competition,” he admitted, “and I must have messed up at some point. I couldn’t transform until my demise, and after that I couldn’t transform back to human even by dying. Look, I know you have questions, but can we do it when I’m not wearing the same clothes I died in... 14 years ago, and even more preferably when it’s not the full moon?” He glanced at the thin walls of the shack as if he could see the sky outside.

Remus drew a quick breath and glanced at the same spot as Regulus. His eyes widened with realisation and fear.

“Oh Merlin,” he breathed out, “I didn’t take my potion.” 

That made Sirius look at him sharply. “We have to get the children out of here,” he said. “Hermione, Harry, you’ll help Ron. Get him to Madame Pomfrey.” With a swish of the wand he had bandages restraining the broken leg, ignoring the boy’s cry of pain. Regulus reckoned skills gained in the war were hard to lose.

“What about Professor Snape?” Hermione asked. All three adults looked at the stupefied Potion Master. They had kind of forgotten about him.

Sirius was opening his mouth (probably to say something carelessly cruel) but Regulus beat him to it. With a snap of his fingers he turned to Remus. “You’re a teacher. Summon a house elf.”

“I - what?”

Regulus resisted the urge to roll his eyes. When would people come to realise and appreciate house elf potential? “As a staff member, you have authority over Hogwarts’ house elves. They can apparate the children and Severus to the hospital wing, as well as bring you your Wolfsbane - I believe Severus mentioned bringing it to your cabinet. They could also bring the authorities to collect Pettigrew, though that would be dangerous to both you two and myself.” He tilted his head, thinking. “Sirius is obviously staying in his dog form to keep you company. You could stick Pettigrew - and myself, I suppose, to the ceiling where he - we - would be out of the werewolf’s reach, or raise anti-werewolf wards in one of the rooms to keep us safe. Then in the morning we take Pettigrew to Dumbledore as a proof of Sirius’ innocence.”

“I don’t remember you this talkative,” Sirius bit out.

“I am enjoying my re-gained ability to articulate.” He turned back to Lupin. “Call Mindy. She is level-headed and will remember us from our school years.”

The werewolf nodded slowly. Sirius whirled at him. “You can’t seriously-”

“He’s right,” Remus cut him off. “Even if he was still a Death Eater, the house elves are loyal to Dumbledore. The children will be safe. Mindy!” he called out, and with a crack an ancient looking bug-eyed elf appeared.

“Master Lupin called?” 

“We apologise for the late hour and appreciate your promptness,” Regulus jumped in, and Mindy whirled around to face him. Her eyes doubled in size and her knobby fingers clutched the front of her uniform.

“M-master Regulus…?” she choked out.

“Hello Mindy,” he smiled, touched by her reaction. “I am glad to see you in good health.”

“Mindy is glad to see Master Regulus in good health too,” Mindy sniffed, visibly holding herself back from doing something too forward, like hugging him.

“It’s a long story I will be happy to share over some scones and tea,” he said remembering their little gossip tradition, “but now, I need you to take Mister Potter, Mister Weasley and Miss Granger to Madam Pomfrey with haste.”

“Right away, Master Regulus! Does Master require anything else?”

“See if you can find Professor Lupin’s medicine and bring it here if you do. If not, don’t return until morning,” Regulus instructed then looked to Lupin. “Anything else?”

Remus shook his head. “No, not that I can think of,” he said. “Uh, thank you Mindy.”

“Mindy is happy to serve!” the elf chripped and turned to the students. “If Masters and Miss would hold on?”

“What? No,” Harry yelped, but just as Regulus expected Mindy paid him little mind. With a quiet pop, the elf and the trio of friends vanished.

* * *

Regulus stared at the empty space blankly for a long minute before announcing, “We forgot Snape.” 

For the second time that night, the three men looked at the slumped Potion Master.

“Oh hell."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just kept forgetting Snape was in the room. Also, Regulus was friends with more house elves than people and you can't convince me otherwise.
> 
> Nobody is murdered that night, though Snape has the scare of his life when he comes to in a hammock next to a petrified Peter Pettigrew and quietly purring Regulus Black. The first thing next morning they all go to Dumbledore. Sirius' name is cleared. He and Regulus go to the Grimmauld's place where Regulus reunites with Kreacher.
> 
> Regulus and Kreacher clean the house from the roof to the ground. Regulus strips his childhood room from all things Death Eater and decorates it with all the things he saw and liked during his time as a cat. He picks up singing and ice skating in the moments when he isn't researching Horcruxes.


	3. Update & Fanart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This work is now a part of a series :)

Now a series. 


End file.
